


Quiet Nights

by TheFoolsKnightober (TheFoolsKnight)



Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Category: The Eldest Curses Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec has the Sight, Alternate Universe - Victorian, M/M, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Warlock Magnus Bane, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFoolsKnight/pseuds/TheFoolsKnightober
Summary: Whumptober Day 16 - HallucinationsIsabelle thinks that the man visiting Alec’s room daily is just a figment of his imagination, but Alec knows better.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947043
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67





	Quiet Nights

“For the last time, Alec,” Isabelle said, sounding tired. “Magnus Bane  _ isn’t real.” _

Alec frowned at her. “I think I’m the one who has to decide whether he’s real or not, Izzy.”

Isabelle slapped her forehead. Alec simply stared at her for a few long moments, until she tilted her head back and took a deep breath and said, 

“Alec, you’ve been having hallucinations since, like, forever. Obviously you can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.”

Alec frowned at her. “I know for a fact that he’s real, Izzy. He’s not a- a figment of my imagination or something like that.”

“Then why hasn’t he come to meet us?” Isabelle asked, raising an eyebrow. “You keep telling me he’s real, then why haven’t I- or anyone else for that matter - seen him nearby?”

“I don’t know, maybe he doesn’t want to be seen,” Alec said. “You know how it is - he just comes and visits every night and leaves by the next morning. He must have his reasons. I don’t know.”

Isabelle looked out the parlour window, towards the miles of forest that surrounded their secluded mansion.

“The closest town is a whole day away,” Isabelle murmured. “And if he’s returning every night… there isn’t any establishment that close, Alec. I don’t see any other explanation for this.”

“But Izzy-“ Alec pleaded, trying to get her to see, but she clearly wasn’t willing to listen anymore. Yet he went on. “I  _ know  _ he’s real. Don’t you believe me?”

“That’s what you said about the wolves near the creek,” Isabelle snapped. “And the supposed fairies in the forest and- and all of that gibberish.  _ None  _ of it turned out to be real. You  _ see  _ things, Alec. Things that aren’t real. The people think that you’re consorting with a witch.”

Alec flushed. “I’m not consorting with a witch.”

Isabelle shrugged, though she looked slightly apologetic about her outburst. “That’s just what the people say.”

There was silence, and then Alec stood up, bid goodbye to Isabelle, and then left the room.

Later that night, Alec lay in bed, awake, his eyes loosely closed in imitation of sleep. The night was cool, wind whipping through the open windows and stirring Alec’s hair. He waited with bated breath, and it wasn’t long before there was a shift in the atmosphere, the touch of a foot to the ground that Alec felt in his soul. His eyes fluttered open, and flickered over to where Magnus took, framed by the moonlight…

Only to widen in horror when he saw Magnus’s bloodstained clothes.

Alec shot out of bed, running over Magnus, panicked.

“Magnus, what happened?!” Alec asked, his hands hovering over Magnus’s wounds. Now that he was close, Alec could see through the torn cloth, could see the gashes that ran long and deep and spilled out blood with every small twitch or movement.

“It’s nothing,” Magnus hissed, moving aside to lean against the wall. “It’ll heal on its own. Who the hell set up protections all around the mansion?”

“Protections?” Alec echoed, incredulous. “I never-“

“I did.”

Alec swiveled around, and his heart jumped into his throat when he saw Isabelle standing there in the open doorway of his bedroom, framed by two men. Her face was passive, almost regretful. Behind him, Alec heard Magnus let out a few expletives.

“I should’ve realised it earlier,” Isabelle said softly. “I’m sorry Alec.”

“Realise what?” Alec asked, and followed her gaze to where Magnus stood. He rapidly looked between the two of them, and realised they were both staring at each other. “You can see him?!”

“I can,” Isabelle said. “I suppose you were right, then.”

Alec’s shoulders slumped in relief, and he turned to Magnus, his half-smile slipping immediately when he saw Magnus’s face.

“Magnus, what’s wrong?”

“Did you know about this?” Magnus asked in a quiet voice. “About these people coming here?”

“I didn’t,” Alec said immediately.

Magnus nodded, and then turned towards the window. “I have to leave-“

Before he could even take a step closer, a blade whizzed past him, embedding itself in the windowsill and blocking Magnus’s path. Magnus froze, and then turned to the two men.

One of them had his arm up, having thrown the sword, and slowly lowered it to his side. “Where do you think you’re going, warlock?”

“Warlock?” Alec echoed. “What are you talking about?”

The other man snorted. “You didn’t tell him, warlock?”

“Tell me what?” Alec demanded, turning to Magnus. “Tell me  _ what,  _ Magnus?”

Magnus did not meet his eyes, his face harder than the rocks that lined the mansion’s gardens. Alec just looked at him, a deep sense of dread overwhelming him.

“I’m sorry, Alexander,” was all Magnus murmured, before thrusting out his arms towards the men.

Alec gasped when blue light shot out of his hands, hitting the men squarely in the chests and sending them flying across the hallway. Isabelle shrieked, and somewhere in the distance, Alec could hear a loud thump followed by curses, and the chilling swipe of a sword being drawn.

Heart beating hard in his chest, he turned to Magnus. “What’s going on?! What the hell was that?!”

Before Magnus could say anything, Isabelle spoke up, “He’s a  _ warlock,  _ Alec! He’s devilspawn!  _ That’s  _ why he’s able to come here everyday! That’s why none of our guards and servants see him! He’s trying to lure you to his side!”

Alec’s world stopped spinning for a moment, everything falling dead inside. He remembered all the nights he and Magnus had spent together, the kisses and sweet words, and couldn’t help but wonder if it all had been a lie.

"Magnus-" Alec began, and then was crudely interrupted by the two men barging into the room again. He saw a quick flash of pain in Magnus’s eyes as he glanced at Alec, gone as soon as Magnus turned away, towards the men, and hurled a spell at them.

This time, they anticipated it and dodged it, but it bought more than enough time for Magnus. With a final glance at Alec - a glance that seemed full of longing and love and made Alec want to question everything all over again - he leapt out of the window and into the night.

The men cursed and followed him through the window, and when Alec looked outside, were searching through the gardens, holding their swords out in front of them which seemed to glow from within with a strange white light.

"Alec-" Isabelle began, but he shook his head. 

"Don’t," he said, turning away from the window, his heart breaking inside his chest.

What the hell had just happened?

The next night, Alec stayed awake the whole time, counting down the hours to daylight and looking out the window to see the moonlight forest. He waited and waited, but Magnus never showed up again.


End file.
